A NotSoNormal Shore Leave
by To.The.Hilt
Summary: Jim, Spock, and Bones and a Shore Leave... on Vulcan! Sounds like the epitome of Boredom to Bones, but at least nothing bad can happen... right?  NON-SLASH Kplus  Cuz I'm paranoid and I like to beat the crap out of Jim.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This isn't done yet. I swore I would NEVER post something that wasn't done. And what-do-ya-know I've gone and done just that. I need a little help. I don't want to be a "one-hit wonder" when it comes to fanfiction and y'all were so NICE the first time around. But I need a little more love and maybe some suggestions to keep this little plot of mine going. Thanks :)

**Summary: **Kirk, Spock, McCoy on shore leave. Not too exciting usually, except this time they are on Vulcan. What's the worse thing that could happen of a fairly peaceful and totally logical planet?

**Warnings: **I like beating the crap out of Kirk, mainly cuz I like seeing Spock look so concerned. Don't worry they'll live. Also, it is late at night. I have no idea if there are mistakes or if I'm making any sense at all.

**Disclaimer: **No use suing me I've been unemployed for a lot longer than I'd care to mention. That being said, I don't own Star Trek. If I did, The newest Star Trek movie would be DONE already!

* * *

><p>Of all the crazy ideas he had let Jim drag him into; this shore leave topped them all. Looking back, he wasn't even sure <em>how<em> he had agreed in the first place. Maybe he had drank too much, that or Jim flashed that ridiculous smile (although by now he could have sworn he was immune to it) or maybe it was the fact that Spock had opposed the idea. That was probably it. Since Spock said 'no' he naturally decided to say 'yes' just to spite him. Figures. The two had probably schemed that all along.

McCoy sighed and sat his drink down. Well it wasn't as if being on Vulcan was the worse possible planet to spend a shore leave… but it definitely came close.

"Are you cool enough?" Lady Amanda asked sweetly as she poured him some more iced tea-like substance.

Bones smiled politely and turned on the ol' Southern charm, "Perfectly Ma'am and thank you."

He had to admit, Spock's mom was the only good part of Vulcan. She was amusing, amiable, even humorous at times. How a woman like that could end up with a husband like Sarek was beyond him. But… he couldn't deny she seemed perfectly content on this giant litter-box of a planet.

"So," she said eyes twinkling, "I understand you and Spock have many a battle of wits on the Enterprise."

"Why, who told you that?" he asked while putting on his best innocent look.

"Captain Kirk."

"Ah. Did he tell you I always win?"

Amanda laughed, "Not exactly."

"Well!" Bones said pretending to be offended. He then leaned back further in his chair and began to recount (without _too_ much exaggeration) one of the many "conversations" he and Spock had amused the bridge crew with. He toned down some of his insults of course. He figured a mother might take exception to having her child called a "green-blooded hobgoblin."

"…And so then to take the cake; she goes and names her kid after Jim and I but not Spock. Not that she should've he was about as helpful a midwife as a rock, but anyway he got all annoyed cuz we were gloating about it and so Spock says—"

A chime sounded indicating an incoming call.

Amada wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes before standing up to answer it.

Bones waited with semi-strained patience, rather upset that the climax of this particular incident had been ruined by some call… probably Sarek making sure Spock's human guests hadn't destroyed his house.

Lady Amanda came back with a puzzled frown, "That was Spock. He had a question for Kirk. Apparently he left about 3 hours ago, said he would do some sight seeing. Spock can't reach him on the communicator… I hope everything's ok…"

"Ah don't worry about it," Bones said, "Jim can handle himself. Sides what is the worse thing that could happen on Vulcan?"

* * *

><p>"This is probably the worse thing that happens on Vulcan," the man said looking out the window, "Sandstorms. They're fairly common out here on the desert. Still this one is pretty bad looking."<p>

Kirk casually walked over to look out. He couldn't see a thing.

"Hmmm, how long to you think it will last?"

"Hard to say with these things. You are welcome to stay here if you'd like."

He thought about it then shook his head, "I'd hate to miss out on Lady Amanda's cooking."

"You are staying with Ambassador Sarek then? Wow… I don't envy you."

Kirk chuckled, "He's not so bad when you get past the Vulcan-death-glare."

The man laughed, "I get that sometimes too."

"Tell me, doctor, why did you choose a career on Vulcan of all places?"

"Some of the best scientists in the galaxy are here. And most of em don't mind having a human around… we make good Guinea Pigs you know."

Kirk smiled then looked warily out the window, "I should probably be getting on my way."

"Ok sure," the doctor said, "I'll contact you when the stuff is ready."

"I appreciate it, oh and could you send it through a private communique? Would like to keep this fairly secret…"

The doctor shook his head in disbelief but said nothing. The two made their way through the massive sterile looking hallways of the Pl'ah'tra Desert Medical Scientific Research Facility. The occasional Vulcan passed quickly, giving the two humans a wide birth. One, however, approached without making eye contact with either of them.

"Doctor Brandon, is your client about to leave?"

"Yes Selka."

"Then I would advise he use the auto-pilot. Visibility is 10%."

"I'm afraid my rental didn't come with programming for this desert," Kirk said trying to mask the annoyance of being talked about when he was standing right there.

"I had anticipated such. This memory chip has a course already laid in." The Vulcan handed him the chip then nodded and left swiftly.

Doctor Brandon shrugged, "Sorry about that. Selka is kinda a strange one. If it makes you feel any better he treats everyone here about the same. Even the other Vulcans can't stand him. Not that they'd say that of course."

"Well it was a nice thought anyway," Kirk said, "Thank you again Doctor, see you soon."

Brandon nodded then opened the door and held it firmly against the gust of wind that threatened to send it flying away.

Kirk dodged out with his eyes squinted shut. He was literally being sandblasted away from the building. He blinked a few times to get his bearings then made for the shuttlecraft.

When at last he climbed in and sealed the door he breathed a sigh of relief. A cough and shaking of his head sent a dirty powder everywhere.

"So much for returning this thing clean," he said aloud, looking at the pile of sand he had left on the seat next to him.

He shrugged and put the memory chip in. The shuttlecraft hummed to life and pulled away smoothly. The computer carefully made adjustments for the wind speed and then slowed the vehicle down.

Kirk sighed; personally he'd rather just take the controls and go. It'd be a lot faster that was for sure. But common sense told him that he really didn't know this desert well enough to navigate in a sandstorm. From the map he had seen earlier he knew there were scatterings of cliffs and plateaus that he could easily plow into if he wasn't careful. He resigned himself to riding along in granny gear. Leaning back, he closed his eyes for a quick nap…

* * *

><p>Spock sat rigidly in the pilot seat. The flying cruise was set at precisely the speed limit for the airway. Yet he still found himself checking the speedometer every 5.6 seconds. He spared a quick glance at his father in the passenger seat. If he could sense Spock's uneasiness he did not choose to respond to it.<p>

Spock struggled to maintain a rigid control. If Doctor McCoy were there he'd say Spock was "edgy." He was not. It was simply _unsettling_ to pilot his father's vehicle on the treacherous airway of Vulcan (this particular stretch was banned to Non-Vulcans as the speed and proximity of the other vehicles left no room for error) he was at least slightly grateful Kirk was not there… Jim would no doubt want to try his hand piloting at such a dangerous speed.

He was certainly _not_ concerned about the fact that his mother had no idea where Kirk was, though it was disquieting. The fact that Kirk had not checked in with him was reason enough to distract him, but he knew that on Vulcan there was only a 35.690% likelihood of harming oneself. Those odds of course did not take into consideration a very stubborn, persistent human who sometimes acted as if he were a super-being.

He glanced once more at his father and this time their eyes met. Spock quickly looked back at the vehicle just inches in front of him and concentrated on piloting once more.

The silence certainly didn't help.

It was approximately 15.34 minutes to his father's house from their current position. Strange that only 7.43 minutes had elapsed since they had left the Science Academy… it seemed longer. Illogical.

* * *

><p>Kirk awoke with a start. The sky outside was much darker now, and the sand still pelted the vehicle.<p>

He checked the time indicator… he'd been asleep for over 2 hours. _Strange,_ he thought, _I'd have sworn it would only take an hour to get back…_

Course that was if _he_ were driving, not this ridiculously slow autopilot. He sighed and switched on the headlights hoping the visibility had improved. The sand didn't seem as thick, and the wind had died down a bit.

Kirk reached over and tried to pick up some music or something to listen to. Most the broadcasts on Vulcan were the usual speeches on the next big scientific breakthrough or study in logic. Sometimes you could find a low-frequency-band broadcast of old Earth tunes, thanks to a few humans who pulled the "cultural-study" card with the local broadcasters. He doubted any Vulcan would really sit and listen to "Hits of Earth, Early 2000s" in order to study human culture, but he certainly wouldn't complain if he could catch something upbeat—he hated being by himself in a vehicle.

Jim frowned. He wasn't getting any signal… a lot of static though. He fiddled with the dial a moment before giving up. Obviously the sandstorm was messing with the broadcast. He stared into the emptiness of his windshield and fidgeted. He was sick of being in this shuttlecraft. Finally he gave up. Forget the auto-pilot- he could have been back long ago! He reached towards the autopilot turn-off, when suddenly the shuttle lurched forward.

The engine accelerated with a powerful surge. He squinted trying to see out but only saw the rushing sand in the headlights and beyond that total darkness. The autopilot went faster and faster… the speedometer crept higher than even he would go.

Kirk slammed his hand against the autopilot turn-off switch and braked. Nothing happened. He felt his adrenaline surge. Something was obviously not right. He began to frantically hit the controls but nothing responded. Desperately he reached bellow and tore open the front panel. A mess of wires fell at his feet. He clawed at them not caring what they did. The inner lights turned off as sparks shot out against his arm.

The whine of the engine indicated that the shuttlecraft was accelerating way past the safety limits.

Kirk shifted desperately in the total darkness trying to get a feel for where the emergency brake line was. He yanked angrily at some more wires before the green light on the dash turned red. He stomped hard on the emergency brake.

He flew forward as the shuttlecraft came to an abrupt stop. Pain shot through his head like a bullet as he hit the dash. Rubbing his head angrily he blinked away the dancing lights. The cabin was now totally dark. He reached over blindly feeling the seats. Where was that blasted communicator?

Blood pounded in his ears and he felt sick. Probably had one nasty bump on his head, Bones was going to throw a fit. He took a deep breath to try and curb the nausea. There was an odd smell…

* * *

><p>McCoy sat rigidly at the dinner table trying to figure out how to eat the strange mess of stuff on his plate. He thought full-dress dinners were a pain, but they were nothing compared to eating with Ambassador Sarek in his own home. Smart of Jim to conveniently disappear before dinner…<p>

He sheepishly looked at Amanda who with a subtle smile began to eat with the odd utensil. Bones tried in vain to copy her. He was so focused on getting the food in his mouth without spilling its contents all over himself… that he forgot to make sure he had cracked the vegetable's outer shell. He shoveled in a whole mouthful of the stuff before he realized that he couldn't chew the thing. It was like having a giant marble in his mouth. Great. Now he'd have to spit it back out.

He looked across the table at Amanda with a desperate plea for help but only saw her trying to hide her amusement by chugging down half a glass of that tea-stuff.

Spock was certainly of no help. It looked as though he had no idea there was even food in front of him. He was absently prying apart the shell. Bones was about to try and swallow the thing at risk of choking to death (better than dying of embarrassment) when suddenly Spock dropped his utensil.

The clatter was so out of place that all eyes turned to look at him. McCoy grabbed his napkin and expertly spit out the shells into it in one smooth movement.

Spock didn't seem to notice the sudden attention put upon him. He was staring with a fierce intensity at the salt shaker in front of him. Abruptly he winced as if in pain and grabbed his head.

Dignity and dinner forgotten Bones jumped up, "Spock?" He dashed into his room and returned with his medical kit. (He never left without it- Even on shore leave. Couldn't be too careful with Jim around) He frowned as the readings came back; Heightened brainwave activity, but nothing to indicate a headache.

Spock straightened up and for the first time realized that he had an astonished audience. Lady Amanda looked concerned as a mother would. Sarek seemed mildly annoyed at having a peaceful dinner interrupted, but he shifted very slightly closer in concern.

Spock opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a chime from his communicator. He whipped it out almost before it was done beeping.

"Jim?"

"Spock," Kirks voice came panting over the heavy crackling of static, "Something….strange…. shuttlecraft accelerated…. Autopilot not responding…. Lucky thing…."

"Where are you at?"

"Was in….. desert….. hours…. Don't know…. moon…"

The communicator squealed loudly as the crackling static intensified. Spock anxiously adjusted the frequency hoping to boost the signal.

"What is your current status?"

"hold on…. hear something…."

The static increased again. Kirk's voice suddenly blasted urgently, "Coolant leak!"

"Run Jim! Get out of the shuttlecraft!" Spock shouted.

The squealing stopped and the communicator fell silent.

Spock adjusted the frequency once more and spoke in an even tone, "Spock to Captain Kirk… Captain Kirk please come in." Silence.

McCoy had already thrown on his boots and was standing at the door. "Well come on!" he said "You know where he is?"

Spock hurriedly gathered his tricorder and his father's keys. "I do not know for certain. However we must hurry. The shuttlecraft he was in may have exploded due to a coolant leak."

Bones swallowed hard and looked Spock dead in the eye. It was an unspoken question. Spock gave him the unspoken answer with quick nod… Kirk was alive at the moment.

Sarek stood with a puzzled expression. Spock had not even asked for permission to take his vehicle. Amanda rushed forward and very emotionally begged to know what was going on. An illogical question since obviously Spock could have no real idea… or did he?

Moments later Spock and McCoy took off with a roar of the shuttle's engine. Sarek cringed as the screech indicated that Spock was accelerating much more quickly than strictly necessary.

* * *

><p>McCoy held his breath as Spock merged into traffic. He had never seen so many vehicles flying so close together before. Frankly even an air-show pilot on Earth wouldn't pull a crazy stunt like this. Spock changed lanes abruptly causing McCoy to drop an expletive. "Spock! Slow down would ya? Your giving me a heart attack here."<p>

Spock did not seem to hear him and instead threw the vehicle to the left and changed 5 lanes. The vehicles around began to slow down and give him a wide birth. They probably thought the pilot was crazy… the passenger certainly did!

"Spock! Where are you going?"

"Captain Kirk said "desert." There are three highly plausible locations that would fit that description."

"So… where are you going?"

In answer Spock accelerated yet again and literally sailed over the top of a passing vehicle to take an exit towards the North.

McCoy closed his eyes and gripped his seat. "When we find him I'M driving back!"

* * *

><p>Kirk dropped to his knees panting. Running in the sand is good exercise, but not when you are being blasted by it. Not to mention the Vulcan atmosphere was a tad too thin for this kind of running.<p>

He gasped loudly and looked behind him. He could just make out the faint outline of the shuttle. It had stopped merely a foot away from a sheer rock wall. He didn't allow himself to consider what would have happened had he not stopped the autopilot.

He could see the trail of blue smoke pouring out from somewhere in the engine compartment. Engine Coolant was highly toxic and extremely flammable. He needed to get as far from the rig as possible before it blew sky high. In his desperate scramble to get out of the vehicle he had dropped the communicator. Not that it mattered the thing was dead. Some sort of interference.

If only the wind weren't slowing him down...

He forced himself up and began to jog further away. The darkness wasn't helping the situation either. He stumbled on a rock and landed flat on his face. As if he hadn't eaten enough sand. Scrambling up he ran blindly forward hoping the next step wouldn't be over the edge of a cliff.

A tremendous blast leveled him again as a heat-wave shot out across the landscape. He glanced back to see the giant fireball that _was_ his rental shuttlecraft. That was gonna cost him.

Fortunately the coolant fire did provide a lot of light. He could see well in front of him now and the wind shifted so he was upwind. Good. No need to worry about breathing in the fumes… if he didn't choke to death on the sand that is.

He began to walk forward. The light cast long shadows in front of him.

Jim felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Darkness, shadows, the smell of fire… being alone. These things brought back very unpleasant memories for him. Memories he was trying desperately to squash.

_Kodos is dead. Kodos died. It's been years now. I'm ok. This is Vulcan… not __Tarsus__… Vulcan is a peaceful planet. These are just shadows of shrubs and rocks. Kodos is dead._

Behind him he heard a strange cracking sound. He turned cautiously and examined the rock wall next to him. The light created such an odd display of shadows he could swear he saw movement behind every jagged rock.

The sensation of being watched increased.

_Kodos is dead. I'm being paranoid. There is nothing in this desert that could harm me…_

"On Vulcan the Teddy Bears are alive and have six inch fangs."

The memory of Spock recounting tales of his childhood on Vulcan slammed into his head. 6 inch fangs… and those were the "Teddy Bears"… what about the wildlife?

Kirk began to walk further away. Being upwind wasn't smart in the wild, but being downwind with the toxic Coolant fumes was suicide. He quickened his pace and cursed the wind and sand once more.

Another sound stopped him dead in his tracks.

Kirk whipped around and scanned the rock wall again. This time he did see something… a gleaming pair of eyes. They were cat like in shape, only much larger than any pet cat. He crouched down without taking his eyes off of the dark shape of the creature. His hands swiped around him until he found a sharp rock.

Should he throw the stone at the thing in hopes of scaring it away? Or would that make it attack? He racked his mind trying to remember the different predatory animals to be found on Vulcan. He had read a book once… long ago… but he couldn't remember much about it other than Spock acted as if the creatures were no big deal. Easy for a Vulcan to say.

_Come on Spock. Hurry up._

* * *

><p>"How big is this desert?" Bones asked taking a deep breath. At least they were out of the traffic now. Although Spock still kept increasing the speed of the shuttle. At this point they could probably break Vulcan's gravity and shoot into space.<p>

"The Pl'ah'tra desert is 5,630,440.97 square miles. However to cross the desert varies in time as the shape is what you might call a figure 8. By crossing at the shortest point and you can easily traverse it in 1.8 hours."

"You think Jim got lost out here?"

"I do not know."

"Well what do you know? Other than how to drive like a Klingon was after you!"

Spock didn't choose to acknowledge the barb as he knew it was McCoy's illogical way of dealing with stress.

"The Captain said "moon" the Pl'ah'tra has a particularly long plateau with an ancient structure. The top of the structure does resemble a crescent shape which may be what Kirk was referring to."

"That's all you got to go on? A crescent shape that _might_ be what a static-filled garbled transmission meant! How do you even know Jim is in this desert?"

Spock gave him a sharp look. McCoy looked away and sighed again. That was a stupid question.

Spock banked the shuttle hard right. Bones held onto his seat restraint and yelled, "Would you kindly warn me before you to that! Bad enough that-"

He blinked a moment as he saw what Spock had already perceived. Off in the distance there was a flicker of light. It was hard to see clearly through the ever blowing sand but it was definitely bright enough to be a shuttle fire.

Bones swallowed hard.

* * *

><p>The creature attacked swiftly.<p>

Kirk had been slowly creeping away from the rock face when the creature sat up on its haunches and practically flew off the cliff.

Kirk's jagged rock was out of his hand in an instant. It hit the creature's shoulder, but it didn't even flinch.

_Run._

Jim turned around and tore out across the desert. He could hear the sound of the creature charging. It shrieked loudly. The noise was so distracting he almost fell again. _Concentrate. If you trip you die. _

A fresh burst of adrenaline made him run faster. He did not dare turn around to see how close his predator was.

The farther away he got from the fire, the less he could see. His breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, and he began to feel light headed and dizzy. A sharp burst of pain tore through him as the creature caught him with its claws. He turned about and punched madly. He caught the creature square in the face. It reeled backwards for a moment. He scrambled away kicking and screaming.

The creature shook itself then arched its back. Kirk tried to scramble up, but his whole arm was numb. He turned to face his attacker and watched paralyzed as it jumped towards him.

* * *

><p>"There he is!" Bones shouted.<p>

Spock spun the vehicle sharply, but this time there was no protest.

In the distance they could see a scrambling human being chased by…

"What in the great universe is THAT?"

Spock charged towards Kirk, ignoring the protest of the engine.

"What are you doing? You're gonna hit Jim!"

Spock didn't even blink.

"Spock? Spock! SPOCK!"

Bones reached out and slapped him. He did not even flinch. He scrambled to find his medkit "So help me I'm gonna sedate you if you don't—"

A tremendous thump hit the windshield. Bones jumped as the hideous creature bounced off the vehicle. Spock instantly slowed to a stop and flew out. McCoy was half a second behind him.

Kirk stared wide-eyed at the creature which had been launched several meters away. It was stunned, but did not appear injured. A testimony to the strength of Vulcan's creatures.

Moments later he felt himself being lifted by another strong life-form of Vulcan. He felt a feeling of warmth and security. That was all.

"Spock let me see those wounds, I can't get a good reading. Any idea what that creature was? Is it poisonous?"

"We must get Captain Kirk to the hospital immediately, Doctor. You do not have the antidote to combat this kind of venom."

McCoy paled as Spock placed Kirk in the vehicle. Jim was dazed and seemed to be barely registering what was happening. Bones made no protests this time as Spock took off at what felt like Warp 9. He forced his mind to concentrate on Jim's labored breathing as they tore across the desert.

* * *

><p>All was quiet at the Medical Facility. Vulcan hospitals generally are. Every patient was in deep meditation or sleeping at this hour of the night. The staff watched monitors and recorded data.<p>

Suddenly the peaceful and sterile atmosphere was interrupted by a loud whine, indicating an engine being pushed beyond acceptable safety limits. A loud voice was heard yelling, "For goodness sake don't drop him! And so help me if these people don't understand me you better start translating and I hope you know some good Vulcan cuss words!"

Every staff member left their stations to stare at the spectacle that came bursting through the doors. There was a human who was already shouting at the Emergency Medical Team before they had even crossed the 2 meter distance from the desk to the patient. The patient was a Human, his red blood dripping unsanitary onto the floor. He was being held by a Vulcan, whom some of the older staff members recognized as the Half-Human son of Sarek.

Moments later the Human patient was placed on a hover gurney and was whisked away to the Emergency Room followed closely by the son of Sarek who merely raised an eyebrow at the receptionist who dared to hand him the correct form to fill out for an Off-Worlder Emergency Patient. He was followed closely and loudly by the other Human whose voice carried down the hallway, "One of y'all had better get me a suit cuz you ain't layin' a finger on him without me bein' in the operating room ya got that? His blood ain't green ya know and yer just liable to make a mistake. He's allergic to a score of stuff that I ain't gonna get into so if I say "No" you best listen to me. Y'all got that? Spock do they got that? Y'all know Terran right? Spock?"

The monitors around the staff began to beep and wail indicating that the peaceful meditation of the other patients had been disturbed. It was one of the most hectic nights their hospital had ever seen, and was an incident that was spoken of for years to come.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Okay I do have an idea where this is going, but some love and suggestions would certainly help. Please Review.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews. They definitely keep my creative juices flowing. Not to mention they help me get my butt in gear.

**Warning:** I popped this out this morning so it hasn't really had a chance to "simmer" yet. I normally like to leave it a day and then re-read it and see what I think. BUT since you have all expressed an eagerness to get this story going then I won't make you wait.

If it needs to help let me know. I can change stuff up. The delete button is as easy to do as setting the Self Destruct Sequence on the Enterprise.

* * *

><p>Lady Amanda sat by the communication panel waiting for the signal. Sarek, uncustomarily, had not gone for his scheduled meditation. He sat beside her appearing to read a Scientific Journal. She glanced over at her husband and smiled. The Scientific Journal was an old issue. She doubted he was reading a single word.<p>

Moments later the communication came in. Sarek put the Journal down, but let her answer it.

Spock's face appeared. He was disheveled and his shirt was covered in what appeared to be Human blood. Amanda shivered.

Spock explained the situation in a cool and even tone, "The Captain is allergic to the usual antidote. Dr. McCoy is working to combat the effects of the venom by seeking alternative treatment. Captain Kirk's condition is stable, at the moment. However, he is still in Intensive Care. There is a 10.8% chance of him slipping into a coma, and a 35.2% chance of the alternative treatment failing."

"Will you be coming home tonight?" Sarek asked.

"I shall stay with the Captain," Spock said firmly.

"My vehicle?"

Amanda shot her husband a look which he had long ago learned meant: "You are offending my Human feelings. If you do not desist, you shall pay for it later." And yes, she did indeed know how to make him pay.

Spock flinched momentarily then said, "It would be best to have it examined by a mechanic before attempting to take it on the airway."

Sarek did not sigh. He took a deep meditating breath and let it out rather quickly.

Amanda gave him a stronger glare which logically meant he should back away from the subject, "If you are in need of transportation I shall arrange to send over your mother's vehicle. I shall also arrange for the mechanic to get mine. I trust you will keep us informed of Captain Kirk's progress."

"I will."

Sarek left the room as his wife went in to her usual Human expressions of sympathy and compassion. He paused only for a moment when he heard her ask, "Are you ok Spock?"

"Affirmative. I was uninjured."

He listened long enough to be satisfied that Spock was indeed "ok" then retired for the evening.

* * *

><p>Kirk awoke to the sound of snoring. He turned to see Dr. McCoy with his head leaning back in a chair, mouth wide open. Bones was still in the Vulcan version of scrubs which looked two sizes too big. The touching scene was interrupted by the swift entrance of Spock.<p>

"Jim," he said lowering his voice, "How do you feel?"

Bone's eyes snapped open, "That's my line!" He jumped up and leaned over Jim. "Well, how you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a hovercraft going at Warp 9"

"You just about did," McCoy said shooting a look at Spock, "But actually you got messed up by a giant cat thing. Spock can tell ya the name, but it ain't worth your time to learn it. Think of it as a massive sabertooth tiger with a rattlesnake venom and you basically got it."

"Lovely," Jim said rubbing his head.

"Lovely don't begin to describe what that thing did to your tissue, but you'll live."

"May I ask how you came to be in your dangerous predicament?" Spock asked.

Kirk began with the navigation chip. The more he thought about the details the more suspicious the circumstances became.

"It can't have been an accident," he said finally.

"It is possible that the controls of your vehicle merely shorted out. That would affect both the automatic navigation and your ability to stop the vehicle's acceleration."

"But why the sudden acceleration?"

"Indeed… an analysis of the debris should prove interesting."

"Analysis my foot!" Bones piped in, "Go find that Vulcan…. Silka, Sacka, whoever! The Vulcan you talked about. He's the one who gave you that handy-dandy chip that nearly got you killed! Let him explain the sudden acceleration!"

"Bones, I came here to relax, not cause an interstellar incident on Vulcan!"

"Fine! You can relax here in this Monastery of a Hospital. _I'll_ go start and interstellar incident."

"Neither of you are doing _anything _until I am with you! Is that understood?" Kirk snapped with his Captain voice.

The two drew back at attention and replied, "Yes, sir."

Jim sighed, knowing them that would last about 2 minutes. Not that he could blame them too much. He wasn't exactly a stellar example of following orders either.

"You have not explained what you were doing at the Medical Facility." Spock said after a brief pause.

"Oh… just site-seeing," Kirk said, casually taking a sip of water, "Was driving around the desert and just lighted on the building. Pretty impressive looking on the outside. Thought it might be a museum."

Spock raised and eyebrow. No doubt even Dr. McCoy could see that Captain Kirk was omitting something. He was prevented from attempting to ask further by the arrival of a nurse. Bone's attention was instantly diverted to her "poking and prodding" as he worded it. Spock used the commotion to discreetly step out of the room.

* * *

><p>Sarek stood outside the Medical Facility and watched as his vehicle was towed away with an overtaxed engine, frontal damage caused by the impact of the creature, and a worn out accelerator pedal. He would speak to Spock about it later, but for now he was satisfied to see that his guest was no longer in immediate danger. Kirk was very much a Human, but he was someone Spock had given his complete loyalty too. That was something special, and though Sarek couldn't understand <em>what<em> about this particular Human made him worth so much devotion, he would respect Spock by treating Kirk as a member of his family. Regardless of how illogical that seemed.

Once he had learned the details of the crash, Sarek had taken it upon himself to address the rental company. After some persuasion and the use of his Ambassadorial Privileges, he had managed to persuade them to drop any charges to Captain Kirk for the incident.

Meanwhile, Spock had taken Amanda's vehicle to return to the wreckage site in an attempt to gather any additional data.

As Sarek walked towards the nearest mass-transit shuttle he began to analyze what Spock had told him. The crash could have been a simple malfunction in the navigation system. However, there was something disconcerting about the circumstances. It was illogical for the shuttle to have accelerated beyond the safety limits. He wondered if any similar malfunctions had been reported for that model of shuttle. With that in mind, Sarek turned in a different direction and began walking towards the Vulcan Science Academy.

* * *

><p>Spock ran his tricorder over the smoldering wreckage of the hovercraft. The vehicle had stopped precisely 11.5 inches from the cliff wall. If Jim hadn't managed to stop… he forced the thought out of his mind. It was illogical to dwell on what might have happened.<p>

Moments later his communicator beeped.

"Spock where in blazes are you?" McCoy shouted.

"I am currently examining the remnants of the hovercraft."

"Didn't you hear the Captain say that we weren't to do _anything_ without him around?"

"Doctor, may I ask how long the Captain will be recuperating?"

"He oughta stay here another day or so, but you know him."

"This wreckage will be long gone by tomorrow. The sand will cover up all remaining evidence of what happened here. It is therefore logical that I gather what data I can now, rather than wait for Captain Kirk to recover."

"Logical my butt. You just wanna….."

The communicator began to whine and crackle. Spock adjusted the gain and attempted to hail McCoy again. Nothing. The communicator was dead.

Interesting.

Spock adjusted his tricorder and scanned the area. There were two animal lifeforms, likely Le'matyas, in a cave to the south. However, he could detect nothing along the cliff in front of him. The ancient temple located on the plateau above was distorting the readings. Perhaps because of the metal used in its construction. Whatever the cause, he could get no clear reading to indicate why the communicator was suddenly encountering interference.

Moments later his keen hearing picked up the familiar whine of another hovercraft. He turned to see a small speck in the distance growing closer. Whoever was piloting the craft was heading straight for him.

* * *

><p>Ambassador Sarek was not, in itself, an unusual site at the Acadamy. Nor was it remarkable that he was seated at a computer terminal surrounded by data pads and memory chips. What <em>was<em> extraordinary was the _subject_ that the Ambassador was delving into. Shuttlecrafts.

The librarian glanced over at austere form of the famous Ambassador as he quickly perused through an old News file. He had asked to see every report regarding vehicular accidents for both Vulcans and Off-worlders. The amount of data was considerable, yet he did not seek to narrow down his search parameters. Instead he instructed the librarian to send all the data to his terminal, and there he now sat with a stack that made even the Professors and Scientists turn and stare.

* * *

><p>Spock continued to scan the debris with his tricorder even as the vehicle slowed to a stop. He reached down and gathered up some more pieces of metal to scan later. Kirk might have said he was "trying to look busy." An Illogical statement as he really <em>was<em> busy. This intrusion would likely prove to be more of a hindrance to his progress than useful.

He looked up as a Vulcan stepped out of the vehicle. He stood rigidly and waited for the intruder to say the first word.

"I see you have found the wreckage. May I ask if you have recovered the body?"

Spock paused for only a moment before stating, "I see no evidence of anyone being inside at the time of the explosion."

The Vulcan marched over to Spock and peered at the readings.

"Illogical," he said, "There must have been an occupant inside at the time of impact."

"You will note," Spock said evenly, "That the vehicle did not impact itself to the side of the cliff. But rather, stopped 11.5 inches from it. Logically the occupants must have exited before the engines overloaded."

The Vulcan said nothing, merely peered at the smoldering remains.

"Do you know who was in this vehicle?" Spock asked while continuing to scan uselessly.

"There was a Human who came to the Medical Facility yesterday. He insisted upon driving in the middle of a sandstorm. Human's are stubborn and impulsive. This one seemed indifferent to the obvious danger of trying to pilot during the storm."

"He could logically set an auto-pilot."

"Logic is not something Human's encompass. I doubt very much this one set the auto-pilot."

"Possibly," Spock said simply. He turned away nonchalantly, his mind racing. If Jim were here he would likely say he "had a bad feeling" about this Vulcan. Illogically, Spock did too. He decided to try a different route, "It is difficult to get an accurate reading. There appears to be some form of interference. Likely from the structure above us."

"The structure is made up of a complex form of metals which create interference when in close proximity."

"Strange that it should prevent communicators from functioning," Spock pulled out his own as a demonstration. The static filled whine echoed off the cliff. Bones would likely have called that "dramatic effect."

"It is an ancient structure, and has not been used in hundreds of years. Highly doubtful that it could affect transmission in any way. It is likely the communicator itself is faulty."

Spock said nothing. He decided he had had quite enough of the conversation. Since this Vulcan had been so discourteous as to not even offer an introduction, Spock decided to take his leave without the usual formalities. He gathered up a few more pieces of debris and turned towards his Mother's vehicle.

"You are Spock, Son of Sarek," the Vulcan's voice stopped him.

Spock turned without expression and stared coldly before answering, "Affirmative. You have not identified yourself."

"Selka," He answered. Then walked away.

* * *

><p>Dr. McCoy decided he hated Vulcan Hospitals. It wasn't so much the fact that the nurses and other doctors looked at him like he was something the cat dragged in. Nor was it the fact that "bedside manner" consisted of essentially poking and prodding in the most efficient manner without a word. Nor was it the fact that everything was so danged quiet. It was for one very good reason: there was not a single cup of coffee to be found <em>anywhere.<em>

So far he had endured six hours of surgery on his own friend, a mere 4 hours of sleep on a chair made for rigid Vulcan postures, and another 3 hours of arguing with Jim about staying put before finally deciding that medically Kirk needed a sleeping pill. Now all he wanted was one simple cup of black coffee, was that too much to ask from the universe?

Bones stared at the food replicator with disdain. He wished Scotty was there. He would likely know how to reprogram the thing to make coffee. Wouldn't that be something? He smiled to himself imagining the look the next Vulcan Nurse would get when she tried to replicate a glass of water and instead got a steaming cup of dark, addictive, and bitter Human Goodness… with a little bowl of sugar on the side.

His quiet reverie was interrupted by the squeal of alarms. He didn't understand all the Vulcan garble, but instantly an Emergency team ran past him and turned the corner. Bones felt a sudden panic and took off. They were heading for Jim's Room.

* * *

><p>He had stopped breathing. He left his Captain sleeping for 10 minutes to go find some coffee and in that 10 minutes his friend had stopped breathing. The Emergency Team surrounded Kirk as they worked to revive him. Bones forced himself not to watch them and instead focused on the cause. They would do their job efficiently, he had to do his.<p>

He ran his scanner over and over. He did not realize he was holding his own breath until he let it out with relief when the monitor above indicated Kirk was breathing again on his own. The Doctors around him were speaking very quickly in Vulcan. He could only catch bits and pieces of what was said.

"What do your readings say?" He asked the Doctor closest to him. The Doctor didn't even look up.

"Blast it!" he shouted, "Someone tell me what is going on!" They didn't even acknowledge he was there. Bones checked his scanner again and tried to interpret the data streaming in, but he needed the other readings to get a clear understanding of what had happened. He felt his temper rising. Forget diplomacy, he was about to create a Human/Vulcan incident right here and now!

Just then the door crashed open. A blur came flying in.

"Spock! Tell them to talk to me for heaven sake! I don't understand what is going on and I need to know what happened!"

The Doctor's continued to rattle off in Vulcan with only a brief glance at Spock.

Bones opened his mouth about to pour out every oath he knew in every language he knew of, when Spock's voice shot out.

McCoy's mouth hung open as a stream of Vulcan words came pouring out of Spock at warp 9. Spock pointed at Bones then at Jim. His voice was loud and had a hint of… anger? In front of all these pious Vulcans? It was a scary sight.

Bones wished with all his heart he had a voice recorder because he was convinced that, somewhere in the endless stream of gibberish Spock was saying, there had to be the fabled Vulcan swear words. When Spock finished he gave a look that made even McCoy cringe. The Doctors stared silently with eyebrows to their hairline. Spock took a step forward. The Doctors then turned and spoke clearly,

"There appears to be a toxin in his system. It was administered accidentally by a nurse. A bottle had been mislabled."

"Mislabeled!" Bones spit, "Fine job of efficiency! Jim is allergic to all kinds of things! I TOLD you so when we first brought him here!"

"It was an unfortunate oversight. The effects of which have caused the patient to slip into a coma."

"UNFORTUNATE OVERSIGHT!"

The Medical Team looked at him with the closest thing to annoyance on their faces. McCoy took a calming breath and then said, "Let me see the brain wave scan."

The Doctor holding the scanner paused only a fraction of a second before Spock moved over and stood behind McCoy. Bones didn't know _what_ Spock had said, but he could almost feel Spock's burning stare going right through him at the Doctor. The data was handed over without another word.

* * *

><p>Sarek was meditating over the immense amount of information he had gathered when he felt a surge of emotion from his wife through their bond. Over the many years of his marriage, he had learned to effectively ignore the ever changing emotional state of Human females, but this was different.<p>

He sat up at the precise moment the terminal alerted him to an incoming call from home.

"Sarek!" His wife cried loudly. He was peripherally aware that the students seated around his terminal had stopped their reading to analyze the emotional transmission he was receiving. He reached over to the volume and turned the dial down.

"Amanda."

"It's Kirk! He's slipped into a coma! Dr. McCoy is trying to get him stabilized but his body is reacting to some sort of chemical that was put in his system on accident! I'm on my way over now," she said.

Sarek could see his wife was barely keeping her emotions in check. He stood up, "I shall meet you there."

She smiled at him and ended the transmission. Sarek picked up the data pads he needed. He ignored the puzzled look of the students in the building as he left.

* * *

><p><strong>A Note and a Question:<strong> Well what do you think? I had to get Jim out of the picture somehow because come one, he would just spill the beans to Spock eventually and then that wouldn't be much of a story would it?

I'm debating between the usual Spock way of bringing Jim out of a Coma (AKA mind-meld in front of the astonished Doctors and even more shocked Father) OR leaving Kirk like that for a while, so that Spock can snoop around and get in trouble. Which would you rather see happen?


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the Reviews :) I agreed with your thoughts and went with Spock snooping.

Once again I find myself posting without letting it sit. I may regret that tomorrow when I read this and then I'll go nuts and change everything. But what can I say? I'm excited. And I want to channel all this creative energy while I've got it. That being said, If you see something that is horrible just tell me. But remember I'm only Human.

* * *

><p>Spock stared at the monitors above Kirk's bed. A piece of the shuttle wreckage was clenched in his hand. He had made his way home, but had not had time to analyze it before he had sensed something was wrong. He had felt Jim slipping away.<p>

What happened afterwards was a blur of images. Vehicles, nurses, doctors, the sound of alarms. He had burst into the room only to be met by Doctors discussing and analyzing the body before them as if it were a sample in a Petri dish. It was Jim they were speaking about. His Captain, his friend, his T'hy'la.

McCoy was there. He needed help. He needed to understand and they would not speak to him. Because he was Human, because he was emotional, because he was afraid; they would not pause to give him the necessary data.

Something snapped.

When he opened his mouth to speak, the words that flew out seemed to tumble over themselves. He did not mean for the deep anger inside him to make its way to the surface, but once it began he could not stop it.

The Doctors begrudgingly started to include McCoy. He stood there the entire time to make sure they did.

Later, when his mind had cleared, he called his mother and explained the situation. He was not surprised to see her appear 15.6 minutes later looking like she had been crying. He _was_ surprised to see his father with her.

Sarek observed the situation quietly and later went out to speak with the Head Doctor. His mother followed a few minutes later with the excuse of getting some water. He had learned long ago that meant she would actually go use the restroom, then check on Sarek. Illogical.

Now all was quiet. McCoy had fallen asleep in a chair right beside the bed. He would start awake whenever Doctors and Nurses came in. He eyed everything they did with obvious distrust, even going so far as to scan the contents of the injections they attempted to give Kirk. A wise precaution that they did not dare disapprove of. As soon as they left Bones would nod off, something he called a "cat nap." Spock remained alert without moving from his sentinel stance.

He stiffened as Sarek entered.

"I will take your mother home now." He stated simply.

Also logical, they had been there for 2.5 hours. There had been no change, and there was only a 1.45% chance there would be any change at all that night.

Sarek did not ask if Spock would stay, instead he handed Spock a data pad.

"I did some research. I find this information interesting. Perhaps it will correlate with what you find when you have analyzed the debris from the shuttle."

With that Sarek turned and left.

Spock looked down at the stream of information. He unclenched his other hand. The navigation chip had been pressed so hard it left a peculiar imprint in his palm. The chip had been badly damaged, and the odds were that the critical data was lost.

Still, he had learned over the years that you _can_ beat the odds. Especially if James T. Kirk had anything to do with it.

* * *

><p>Bones started awake to the sound of movement. Spock stood above him holding a tray of food.<p>

"What's that for?"

"For consuming, Doctor."

"Oh joy, just what I need to make this day all better: a plate of tasteless Vulcan food that makes Klingon food look like a five star- is that coffee?"

"Affirmative, I reprogrammed the replicator to create it. Simply select 'water' then press the farthest button on your right. I chose the replicator portal outside of this room 2 meters to your left. This should enable you to keep an eye on Captain Kirk while getting your unhealthful beverage."

"Or I can send one of those ever-nosey nurses to get it for me," Bones said taking a sip. It was nice and strong, "Thanks."

"It was only logical, you will need the stimulant of caffeine to keep you alert enough to care for Captain Kirk while I am away."

"And just where do you think you are going?"

"I must continue my investigation. The evidence leads me to conclude that this was an act of sabotage and not a chance malfunction. I would advise you to continue alert, you and I may be a target as well."

McCoy swallowed, "I won't leave his side."

Spock took one last look at the monitors above then turned to leave. Just before he exited the room Bones called out, "Watch your back, you green-blooded Sherlock Holmes. I don't wanna have to stay up guarding both of ya!"

A Nurse had walked by at that precise moment and raised her eyebrow in surprise. Spock merely responded with a similar look, and then hurried down the corridor.

* * *

><p>Spock landed his mother's vehicle outside the Pl'ah'tra Desert Medical Scientific Research Facility. The building was indeed large, but not remarkable looking. It was perched on the very edge of the desert in a very isolated and barren area. The gold lettering on the building clearly indicated what its purpose was in several languages, including Earth Standard.<p>

"…_thought it was a museum."_

Spock took a deep breath as he continued inside. He was met by a Human who introduced himself as Dr. Brandon.

"You must be Spock," He said pleasantly, "Kirk told me a lot about you. Best First Officer in the fleet, from what he tells me."

Spock was taken aback from the praise. He had not quite mastered the art of accepting a compliment given to him, particularly when it came from a total stranger.

Dr. Brandon seemed to understand, as he immediately changed the subject, "So what brings you here? I'm afraid it won't be done for at least another 3 days. We've had a few setbacks."

Spock explained briefly the circumstances surrounding Kirk's crash and his hospital stay. Dr. Brandon's face went from mild surprise, to concern, to horror.

"I don't know what to say," He said at last, "What can I do?"

"You may start by telling me what Captain Kirk was doing here. I assume he commissioned you to do something for him. You said, "it won't be done for at least another 3 days." To what are you referring?"

Dr. Brandon sighed, "I guess I spilled the Plomeek soup. If he didn't tell you, then that means he didn't want you to know about it. At least not right away… but… these are extenuating circumstances. Come with me and I'll show you."

* * *

><p>McCoy couldn't quite put a finger on it, but things had suddenly changed at the Hospital. One minute, he was the thorn in everyone's side. Doctors and Nurses either argued logic with him or ignored him completely. His first attempt at getting a nurse to bring him more coffee was met with the Vulcan equivalent of a scoff.<p>

Then, out of nowhere, it was as if the entire atmosphere had changed. The Doctors came in regularly to give him reports on their conclusions and findings. A Nurse was assigned to bring him coffee and food at regular intervals. To top it all off, the food was _real_. Not meat, of course, but still honest to goodness _real_ vegetables. Corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and a garlic covered salad that could wake the dead. Real food!

He'd have thought he was dreaming, other than he would _never_ dream about Vulcans being so nice.

It was puzzling, but then again… why question it?

* * *

><p><em>To: Pl'ah'tra Desert Medical Scientific Research Facility<em>

_From: Captain James T. Kirk USS Enterprise NCC 1701_

_Re: New Medical Program_

_Dr. Brandon,_

_Thank you for your prompt reply to my inquiry. _

_I know it is an odd request, but perhaps once I explain it will make more sense. As you know, the Enterprise is home to some of the best Officers in the Fleet. That most definitely includes my First Officer Mr. Spock._

_As I indicated before, Mr. Spock is Half-Vulcan/Half-Human which makes medical care somewhat challenging._

_My Medical Staff are highly trained, and do their jobs well. Frankly though, there have been too many close calls, simply because the Medical Computer is designed to handle only Humans. _

_What I propose is a whole new Computer Program, one that would allow my Chief Medical Officer to make the best decision based on the most accurate and reliable data._

Dr. Brandon paused the recording, "That was the basic idea. We communicated back and forth for several weeks until finally we came up with this…"

A large diagram filled the screen before them.

"As you can see, it is designed to interface with the _Enterprise's_ Main Computer. It can be activated at any time, from any port. The Program itself is wholly unique in that it can interpret both Human and Vulcan data simultaneously, something we have never done before. When a Human is placed on the bio bed it automatically calibrates itself to interpret those readings. In your case, it will not only calibrate itself to your Vulcan physiology, it will also continue to analyze and compare the treatment against the Human data. That way you would never be given a toxin that Vulcans can handle, but Humans can't, or vise versa.

Spock studied the diagram speechless. The design was intricate and impressive. A lot of forethought had been placed in the overall programming. Any bio-bed anywhere on the _Enterprise_ would now support his own unique life readings. Not to mention if he were injured elsewhere on the ship any computer panel could be used to get information.

Dr. Brandon seemed to be reading his thoughts and smiled, "I know. I was pretty shocked when he first proposed the idea. I mean, that is a lot of programming for one Officer. But he assured me that you were well worth it to the_ Enterprise_. He also said something about keeping his CMO sane."

"It appears to use a significant amount of memory," Spock said at last.

"It does, and that's because what started out as a simple Vulcan/Human Medical Program turned into a full blown multi-species program. It now has the data for Klingons, Romulans, Andorians, you name it. If Starfleet has any medical record of_ any_ species it automatically adds that to the internal memory. I've got to admit, it was the Mt. Seleya of programming. I'm pretty proud of it."

"No doubt Starfleet will benefit from such a Computer Science Breakthrough."

"You know that's the sad thing. Starfleet didn't approve it for use in the whole Fleet. Too much work, too many resources, not enough practical application… I don't know. What I _do_ know is since Kirk couldn't get Starfleet or the Vulcan High Counsel to approve the project, he paid for it with his own credits."

Spock raised both eyebrows in surprise.

"I know, I was pretty shocked myself when I saw where the resources came from. I didn't think a guy could have that much. What did he do? Save a planet?"

Spock cleared his throat (there must have been dust in the air because it was very dry) then asked, "Why did Captain Kirk come here directly?"

"I still needed some schematics of the _Enterprise's_ Main Computer. Captain Kirk didn't want it sent over a standard transmission as he thought it might be a Security Risk. So he brought it here. He also wanted to see what we had done so far."

Spock coughed again, "Thank you for your time, Dr. Brandon, I will be in touch with you."

"Please keep me informed about Captain Kirk, and seriously if there is anything I can do…"

Spock tilted his head politely then made his way towards the entrance when he stopped. His keen hearing picked up the sound of wind. He glanced out the window and saw what he already knew. A Sandstorm was coming, and from the distance covered it appeared to be a large one.

Dr. Brandon whistled, a peculiar Human tendency, and then said, "You are welcome to stay here until that passes."

"A logical precaution… Since it appears we shall have plenty of time before the storm breaks, may I speak with you about the different members of your staff? Specifically one named Selka…"

* * *

><p>Bones leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his 5th cup of coffee. A nurse stood patiently beside him, waiting to take the tray of food away when he had finished.<p>

"So tell me," He drawled casually, "Why am I suddenly being treated like I was T'Pau?"

The nurse flinched slightly in surprise. Bones grinned to himself. He loved name dropping, especially big-wig Vulcan names. He would've mentioned that he had met her once, but didn't think that'd be a good idea, considering the circumstances.

"You haven't answered my question."

"Captain Kirk is of great importance to the Federation. As his Chief Medical Officer it is logical that you would be the one in the best position to care for him. You increase his chances of recovering by 34.6%."

"About time y'all figured that out, but who gave you that figure?"

"The Ambassador of Vulcan."

"Sarek?"

Name dropping. Too much fun.

The nurse nodded in the affirmative.

Bones shook his head. Go figure. You stay at a Vulcan's house. You wreck his dinner, his car, and his weekend. He repays you by pulling strings to make sure you are treated with respect and allowed to do your job. Maybe Amanda wasn't so crazy after all for liking the guy. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. Ever.

He took another swig of coffee to drown out the thought when he heard a shaky and weak voice.

"Spock…"

The coffee caught halfway down. He spat it out all over the shocked nurse and tossed the food tray on the ground as he leapt towards the bed.

"Jim!"

* * *

><p>Dr. Brandon couldn't resist showing Spock the testing lab. They made their way to a large room with several biobeds. He took out the large glass cube that held the Computer Program and plugged it in.<p>

"Go ahead," he said with an excited look in his eyes, "Try one."

Spock felt that such a demonstration was unnecessary, but the look Dr. Brandon had reminded him of the looks Jim got when he was in his "new toy" moods. He had learned from experience that it was often best to simply do the task asked, instead of arguing the illogic of it.

He walked towards the bed and laid in it. The usual alarms did not go off. Instead the gentle thump of his heart rate was heard.

Dr. Brandon grinned, "Looks like you are perfectly healthy. You've got an impressive brainwave pattern too. Heightened activity actually, also showing some signs of stress. That's understandable, of course, all things considered."

Spock rose off the bed immediately.

Dr. Brandon chuckled to himself then walked towards the same bed, "My turn."

The computer adjusted with only a .086 second delay to Human readings.

"You are slightly overweight, show signs of lacking sleep, but otherwise appear to be quite healthy," Spock stated matter-of-factly, "Impressive technology."

Dr. Brandon laughed out loud this time.

"Now, Doctor, I believe you had been telling me about Selka."

"Not much more to tell I'm afraid, I haven't seen him since yesterday. I'm the only one who came to work today. I wanted to keep plugging at this program. Had some issues, like I said."

"May I ask what sort of issues?"

"Well kind of strange ones because I had worked them out before, but—"

A tremendous roar interrupted the Doctor as the building shuddered against the wind.

"Goodness, aren't you glad you aren't in that? Man! Never heard it pelt the building quite so loud before. Wonder if the powe—"

A loud boom was heard and instantly they were plunged into darkness.

"Figures. Backup should be on in a second."

Spock's senses instinctively heightened. He could smell the dust from outside, and heard very clearly the sound of the sand pelting the building. The Doctor shuffled around then stumbled.

"Ouch. Dang. Can you reach for the tricorder on my desk? That should give us a bit of light."

Spock carefully made his way from memory around the biobed to the desk. He felt around until his fingers brushed the tricorder. He flipped it open. The small lights on the panel lit up the room with a strobe effect.

The Doctor walked towards it, "Hope you don't have epilepsy! Better than nothing, I guess. I don't know what is up with the backup power. Maybe needs a switch pulled. I'll go check on it, be right back."

Spock felt his way to the biobed and sat with his fingers steepled. 15.6 minutes passed in silence before he heard the faint sound of footsteps in the corridor. The steps were deliberately soft, unlike the slightly-overweight Doctor's. Someone else was in the building.  
>He slipped off the chair and crouched down. A beam of light flashed through the crack in the door. Whoever was out there had a light.<p>

Spock made his way silently towards the door. If he could catch the intruder off guard he could render them unconscious easily.

With a sharp intake of breathe, he felt his toe brushed against something. There was a deafening clatter as the unfortunately placed item skittered across the floor. The light shifted and shone directly at the door.

He had lost the element of surprise. There was only one logical course of action.

Spock hurtled towards the door.

* * *

><p>"Spock!" Jim shouted sitting up.<p>

"Jim! For goodness sake!" Bones pushed him back down, "If you don't calm down I'll sedate you! Don't make me do that! You've been out enough as it is!"

Captain Kirk thrashed about in his bed. He was disoriented. There were strange faces around him, and monitors going off, and Bones was there yelling at him. And Spock… Spock wasn't there.

"Bones!" Kirk grabbed onto his hair, "Spock!"

"Jim" McCoy said trying to speak calmly, "You are in the Hospital. You were attacked by a big cat thing remember? You've been in a coma, but you are alright now. You need to keep calm."

"Spock!"

"Spock isn't here, he went to go check some stuff out about the crash okay? You need to try and calm down."

Kirk shook his head. There was too much going on, too much commotion. There was pain, and fear, and worry, and faces, and lights, and people.

"Spock is in trouble!" He shouted at the faces around him, "We've got to help him!"

* * *

><p>Spock crashed through the door and landed on top of the intruder. The light flew across the hall and shattered. They were plunged into darkness.<p>

The attacker threw Spock with terrific force that knocked the wind out of him. He staggered to his feet before he was punched. Definitely not a Human assailant.

Spock unleashed his Vulcan strength on the intruder. His blind attacks were met with equal force. With a sickened surprise he stumbled over the broken light and fell face down on the hard floor. An instant later his attacker was on him. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness; just as everything went blank he felt something… _Jim._

* * *

><p><em>There you go. See? I really DID know why Kirk was as the Medical Facility. That was actually the little idea that spawned this whole story, but don't worry it isn't over yet. Obviously.<em>

_By the way, my computer crashed right after my 100th typo-fixing check. So if you find any, I will say that I honestly fixed them before, and you can blame the computer for crashing right before I saved. True story.  
><em>


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Thank you, ALL OF YOU, so much for the support and reviews. You helped take my little idea and turn it into a pretty fun story... at least I had fun anyway. Once again it is 11:07 PM here and I am WELL ready for bed. But I wanted to finish this since I was so mean and left ya with a cliffhanger (something else I swore I would never do). This is the last Chapter.

Once again, this isn't perfect. Normally I am crazy and I read and re-read, write and re-write, delete and undelete, for several days. Then I finally get sick of the same story and then convince myself it is "good enough" Not this piece. I wanted to get it all out and "out there" for you guys. I didn't think it fair to leave you all hanging like that. So in short: it ain't perfect. I will probably wish I had waited, but here you go anyway. Enjoy! And PLEASE Review.

* * *

><p>McCoy wrung his hands as he paced nervously. Too much coffee, coupled with the adrenaline surge of dealing with a half-delirious-but-still-punch-happy James T. Kirk, had left him somewhat edgy.<p>

Kirk groaned and shifted as he woke up from the mild sedative.

"Now don't go trying to punch the lights out of your Doctor this time!" Bones hissed as his eyes finally opened.

"Sorry," He mumbled, "Wasn't aiming at you."

"I figured. That's why the Head Doctor on this floor is sporting a green-and-black eye. If I were you, I wouldn't let him give you any medications for a while."

"I don't take kindly to being knocked out when Spock is in trouble," Kirk snapped angrily.

"I didn't order that, Jim! You being stubborn and not sitting still did! Look, you just came out of a coma. Obviously, nobody here is crazy enough to believe you have_ any_ idea what is going on in your head, let alone someone else's. Except me."

Jim's expression softened, "So, you'll help me get out of here?"

"When you are _medically able to_, yes. But first your gonna have to deal with our charming host, he's on his way over."

Moments later Sarek walked in the room, "Kirk. We have much to discuss."

* * *

><p>Bones shifted on the mass-transit shuttle. He tried not to dwell on the fact that he and Kirk had three seats empty around them, despite the fact that it was a cramped shuttle. Apparently none of the other passengers wished to sit in close proximity to the antsy human and his cranky companion. Not that he blamed them.<p>

His thoughts shifted back to the recent conversation between Captain Kirk and Ambassador Sarek.

Apparently nobody could get a hold of Spock, but Amanda's Vehicle-Location Signal indicated that it had parked just outside Kirk's "Museum". They had tried hailing him, but the strange interference, from whatever was in that blasted desert, made it impossible.

"There is a Class 7 Sandstorm in the area," Sarek had said, "Which prevents us from further investigation. It is also, possibly, the reason for the communication interference."

"Listen," Kirk spoke slowly, trying to remain respectful, "I know it doesn't make sense. But I know Spock is in trouble. We have to get out there."

"I do not doubt your sincerity, Kirk, it is simply a matter of protocol. The Vulcan authorities will not launch a Missing Persons investigation until after 42 hours of non-contact."

"Spock doesn't have 42 hours!" Kirk shouted, "Surely you could use your Diplomatic influence to get the Authorities to help!"

"I have tried," Sarek said. His face was impassive, as usual, but something in his eyes indicated that he had done a lot more than just try, "I am afraid their authority outweighs mine."

Kirk sighed, "What will you do now?"

"Since I can not reach Spock's last known location, due to the storm, I intend to continue trying to persuade the Authorities to launch an investigation. This goes far beyond a missing person, as the evidence I showed you suggests. I shall be in a meeting with the Vulcan High Council in 1.2 hours."

Kirk nodded quietly. Bones had grimaced then. Any time Kirk got quiet it meant he was thinking… dangerously thinking.

"Kirk," Sarek barked, in a tone which indicated he had observed what Bones had, "You _will not_ attempt to investigate without the authorities to back you up. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Kirk had said.

Bones had nearly choked at the parental tone coming from Sarek. He was more astonished at the quick, and almost pensive, response from Jim.

Sarek seemed satisfied with that and left quickly.

Exactly 30 minutes later the paperwork all came in, allowing James T. Kirk and accompanying Doctor to leave the Hospital. All the red tape had been hacked through. They didn't even have to sign anything. Bones shook his head, no need to guess who had worked that miracle.

Now the two sat on a mass-transit shuttle on their way to Sarek and Amanda's. Amanda would be waiting for them, no doubt. He just hoped she would be able to distract Kirk enough so that he would rest a bit before doing anything stupid.

As the shuttle came to a stop, Bones saw Sarek's newly repaired vehicle sat in front of the house. Good as new. He glanced over at Kirk and prayed Amanda would be good at keeping Jim occupied.

* * *

><p>They were crazy. Every last one of them! Lady Amanda (bless her sweet heart) included!<br>Kirk and no more then set foot in the door before she came running up to him. She hugged him, kissed his cheek, and then… handed him the keys to Sarek's car. Just. Like. That.

Bones had about forgotten to use his "lady-in-the-room" vocabulary.

"The storm has died down to a Level 3. You can pilot in that, if you are careful," She said all that without even a "if you think you are physically able to handle that."

"Ma'am!" McCoy finally managed to spit out, "Your husband will kill us if we do anything to that car."

"You leave Sarek to me," she said with a stubborn expression (very much like the ones Spock got, actually)"That is _my son_ out there."

Kirk said nothing. He just bound out the door and hopped in the vehicle. Bones had followed seconds after and was already strapped in before reality hit.

They were in Sarek's car… and Jim was piloting.

They were dead. Plain and simple. If Kirk didn't kill them piloting in a freak storm, Sarek would when they got back.

Bones swallowed as the engine hummed to life. He felt the vehicle lurch forward with a tremendous roar, then was plastered back as Kirk braked.

"What are you, a Starfleet Freshmen?"

"Brakes are touchy, so is the accelerator. I've got this."

"Uh-huh."

Kirk did a few more "practice stops" before shooting down the road. McCoy closed his eyes as they merged with the heavy air traffic.

"I believe you told the Ambassador that you wouldn't do anything stupid until we had the authorities to back us up."

"Yes, and I will keep my word."

"Oh really! Well I don't exactly feel like we've got backup. We don't even have a phaser, Jim!"

"Trust me on this, Bones."

McCoy sighed, "Do you even know where you are going?"

"Of course! Bones, it's Vulcan. How lost can you get?"

"_Very_, especially if you keep going this way. This stretch turns to Vulcan-only in a couple miles. You'll need to veer off."

Kirk just smiled.

A sign passed, indicating that all Non-Vulcans needed to veer to the left. Kirk throttled forward, passing a cluster of cars on the Right then shot onto the Vulcan-Only Highway.

"Jim! Are you INSANE! Pull over! Right now! I mean it! You won't get away with it, there are cameras everywhere. The minute they see your ugly mug they'll send the cops… oh…. oh…. no…. oh Klingon crap."

"Smile for the Camera, Bones!" Kirk shouted as he leaned forward to be sure the monitors got a clear shot. He flashed the James T. Kirk grin and waved.

* * *

><p>Amanda had the weather report on, keeping a close eye on the sandstorm just in case. She was just about to go outside to water her flowers, as a way to calm her nerves, when a broadcast interrupted the usual boring report.<p>

_High velocity chase on Vulcan-Only Air-Way 3237. Two Humans appear to be in the vehicle. Traffic is advised to stay off of the Air-Way until the dangerous pilot is apprehended._

Amanda changed the station until she found a live news feed of the chase. There it was; her husband's vehicle going at top speed down the air-way. There were 3 police vehicles in hot pursuit.

Sarek's shuttle soared over the top of another vehicle, and just barely missed clipping the top. She heard the garbled transmission of the lead law enforcement officer call for backup.

Amanda plopped on the couch and held her head. Sarek was _not_ going to like that.

* * *

><p>Kirk bit his lip as he sailed over yet another gaping Vulcan pilot. He glanced at his aft sensors, which were going off like mad. He had to keep a reasonable lead on the law enforcement, or else they would use a tractor beam on him.<p>

His heart was racing from both apprehension and excitement. The adrenaline surged through his body as he stomped hard on the accelerator. A small part of him was thrilled. He had always wanted to try his hand at piloting the Vulcan-Only airway. Of course, he had never dreamed of taking it at these speeds.

Another law enforcement shuttled appeared overhead. He gunned forward out of its tractor beam range, narrowly avoiding a sign which indicated they were coming upon a junction. He took a deep breath, he had a plan. Now to see if it would work.

"Well," Bones said with a sigh, "We now have half of the Vulcan Police Force behind us. My life has flashed before my eyes 3 times. Are you happy now?"

"Yes," Jim said with a grin, "I think that is quite enough backup don't you?"

With that, he turned on his signal and flew in a wide arc towards the Pl'ah'tra desert.

"If we live through this," Bones whispered, "And Sarek _doesn't_ kill you, _I WILL_!"

* * *

><p>Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan stood before the Vulcan Council waiting patiently for his turn to speak. He had all the evidence correlated logically in his mind. He knew precisely which arguments to bring forward, and which to hold back for later debate. He calculated the arguments that were likely to arise against him, and carefully constructed his retorts. This was his expertise. He knew the debate, knew the issues, and knew the opponents. He was certain he would succeed. Words came easily to him.<p>

"Ambassador Sarek?"

He rose. Fully prepared for this battle of Diplomacy, when his train of thought was cut short, "There has been an incident with your vehicle."

His eyebrow shot to his hairline as he was lead to the news monitor. There was his newly-repaired shuttle, being rocketed across the very desert where it had met its unfortunate accident before. It was being tailed by a long, and rather impressive, armada of the Vulcan Law Enforcement.

If he had not been in front of the entire Vulcan Council, he might have used one of the colorful metaphors his wife occasionally graced him with. At that precise moment, those were the only words coming to his mind.

* * *

><p>Kirk wiped the sweat from his eyes and concentrated. The sandstorm made visibility low, and he was well aware what dangers were present in this desert. He had slowed, barely, but continued to hold a lead on his entourage.<p>

He squinted. Just ahead was the Medical Facility… and Amanda's vehicle. He just hoped his plan would work.

"Ok Bones! Here's the tricky part. You and I gotta make a break inside that building before they have a chance to stun us, else the game is up."

"So much for relaxing and avoiding interstellar incidents."

"Ok ready? I'm about to make an emergency landing."

Bones closed his eyes and held on fast as the shuttle came to a screeching halt.

"NOW!" Kirk shouted. The two scrambled out and dashed for the inside of the Medical Facility like they were being chased Romulans.

Kirk slammed the door shut and charged forward blindly. The power was off. Everything was dark.

"Dr. Brandon? Spock?" He called out, "I am here with the police."

Bones tripped along behind him, "Never mind that they aren't exactly here to help us. Figures the blasted lights would be out."

"Come on," Kirk whispered. The two ducked into a pitch-black room just as the doors were thrown open by the Police Force. The sound of many footsteps was heard as the highly efficient Vulcan Officers invaded and searched one room at a time.

"At least they have flashlights, thank goodness," Kirk whispered.

"What, you in a hurry to get nabbed?"

Kirk crouched down and began to feel his way across the room. He bonked right into a chair. Seconds later Bones tripped over him with a terrific thud.

"Think they heard that?" Bones groaned.

"They're Vulcans."

"Dang."

Moments later there was a yell and clatter.

"What's that?" Bones whispered as they felt their way along the floor towards the sound.

"Sounds like we aren't the only fugitives in this building," Kirk whispered, "Time to make an entrance."

He felt for the door and threw it open. On the ground was a Vulcan wearing the Law Enforcement Uniform. He was being tackled by Selka.

Kirk charged forward and launched himself onto the pile. Bones hesitated for only a fraction of a second before joining the fray.

Two Vulcans, two Humans, and a lot of arms and fists. Moments later Selka was on the ground with the three pinning him down, just as the rest of the Officers charged in.

"WHERE IS HE?" Kirk shouted.

Selka looked through him with quiet arrogance. Kirk raised his fist, but was prevented from his signature interrogation technique by another officer. He jumped up, "I am Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship _Enterprise_. This man is responsible for the abduction of my First Officer Mr. Spock."

Instantly every communicator in the room went off. The clamor of Vulcan garble, Bones shouting, and Kirk lecturing drowned out the sound of the sand storm.

Finally the CO stepped forward, "That was the Vulcan High Council. We have been instructed to follow your orders, Captain."

Kirk grinned unabashedly, "Search the building. Spock may be here."

The Vulcans spoke amongst themselves briefly, then distributed their teams. Moments later the power flickered on.

McCoy began running tricorder scans, for lack of anything better to do. Kirk had sat down and started to massage his temples.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," Jim said, "Trying to concentrate."

He tried to block out the noises and the bright light. He had to focus. Spock was alive… somewhere. He shook his head. For some reason all he could think about was… his eyes snapped open.

"Moon!" he shouted.

McCoy gave him the you've-officially-lost-it look.

"Moon, Bones! Moon! I keep trying to figure out where Spock is… but I can't concentrate because for some reason I keep seeing this image of a moon."

"Vulcan has no moon, Jim."

"Exactly! But the temple I saw before, does."

* * *

><p>Spock struggled for the 15th time against the bonds that held him. They did not budge.<p>

"It's no use," Dr. Brandon sighed, "For a peaceful society with low crime, you design some overkill hand cuffs."

Spock eyed the Doctor wearily. He was bound in a similar fashion 2 meters to his right. Spock had been the first to come around after their abduction. The Doctor remained unconscious for another 35 minutes before he woke up.

"Selka attacked me," the Doctor had said. (Spock had already assumed that), "I knew there was something wrong with that guy. I bet you anything he's been sabotaging my programming… he'd have the know-how anyway."

Spock had tuned out the Human's useless chatter, and concentrated. Jim was conscious. He felt a surge of excitement, not his own.

"There will be help coming," Spock said simply.

"Nice that you are so optimistic, but how will they know where we are? We sure don't."

"This room is composed of the same metal as the abandoned temple located where Captain Kirk's shuttle exploded."

"The same one that caused the odd sensor interference?"

"Affirmative."

"The perfect holding cell then. They won't be able to scan for us."

"Perhaps."

Spock closed his eyes in deep meditation. The Doctor's voice interrupted, "What is this all about?"

Spock took a deep breath and then opened his eyes, "For several years, there have been numerous fatal accidents involving Humans in this particular desert. Most of them were shuttle related. The reasons were often listed as "Pilot error," which was why they went unnoticed before.

"I see. It was logical to conclude that Humans are accident prone."

"Affirmative."

"So if it's not our poor piloting skills, what was it?"

That is what we must try to ascertain from Selka.

"He doesn't strike me as being very helpful. Besides that, where is he?"

"It is logical to conclude he will return to the Medical Facility to cover up any signs of a struggle. It is also logical he will dispose of my Mother's vehicle, to make it appear like I was involved in an accident."

"And how does he get rid of me?"

"No doubt in a similar method."

"And when he is done covering up his tracks, what happens to us?"

Spock said nothing. He closed his eyes and concentrated once again.

* * *

><p>The sandstorm had picked up again. Kirk took the lead as he piloted the small army he had accumulated towards the cliff.<p>

"Hard to see in all this sand," He said to himself. The navigation system was not functioning. There was no way to tell if he was moving towards or away from the cliff face that had nearly killed him before.

McCoy squinted, "Any of this look familiar?"

"I was asleep for most of the ride, and the navigation chip had probably driven in circles before it made a kamikaze run."

Bones nodded then reached for the air conditioning. He turned the dial only to be greeted by _Shut Up and Drive _

"Ack, Vulcan dials make no sense" Bones grumbled, and turned the radio off.

"Wait a minute," Kirk said.

"What, you want to listen to Ancient Earth tunes at a time like this?"

"No, the radio! I had tried to listen to it, and when I did it turned to static."

Kirk reached forward and cranked up the volume. The music was coming in loud and clear. He adjusted his heading slightly, there was an instant crackle.

Bingo.

* * *

><p>Spock jerked his head up at the sound of footsteps. A moment later another Vulcan entered the room. He looked first at Spock, then at Dr. Brandon, without expression.<p>

"Why are we being held here?" Spock asked.

"You are a threat to us," the Vulcan said simply.

"We are a threat to whom exactly?"

"Vulcan."

"How are we a threat to Vulcan?"

"Humans have no right to be among our people. You threaten our cultural heritage, our emotional control, and our way of life."

Dr. Brandon made a scoff sound. Spock continued to concentrate on where he was, pushing the small hint of anger from his mind.

"You say Humans threaten our cultural heritage," he continued evenly, "and yet by your very statement you show that you reject the philosophy of _Kol-Ut-Shan."_

"IDIC works only when the variables make for a stronger culture. Humans are inferior, their blood is inferior, their minds are inferior, and their ideals are inferior. You contaminate us."

Spock felt that small spark of rage begin. He struggled to maintain control. He needed his logic now. He needed to concentrate on where he was; "It is illogical to assume that by selectively murdering Humans who come here, you can create a better way of life for Vulcan."

"There are many of us. Some day Vulcan will be rid of every last inferior species."

"I find no logic in your plan. Such an attempt would be futile, and disastrous."

The Vulcan stepped forward and held up a phaser, "You are half human. You are the greatest threat to our way of life."

Dr. Brandon began struggling against the bonds and shouting out. Spock could see no way out. He prepared himself for what was to come, when he heard a sound.

Moments later Captain James Kirk came charging into the room. The Vulcan jumped back in surprise, his phaser misfired and hit the wall inches from Spock's head. A rush of policeman filled the room moments later.

Jim ran forward to free Spock. It had been close… too close.

"You alright?"

"Affirmative, and you?"

Kirk nodded then grinned, "You don't want to know what I did to get here."

Spock raised an eyebrow in response, then turned to the apprehended Vulcan and spoke very quietly.

Kirk was the only one who heard the Vulcan phrase, and he knew what it meant:

_Ma etek natyan teretuhr lau etek shetau weh-lo'uk do tum t'on_ (We have differences. May we, together, become greater than the sum of both of us)

* * *

><p>"Well, I can't say that was the most relaxing shore leave I have ever been on," McCoy said as the three made their way to the transporter station, "But it wasn't as boring as I thought it would be."<p>

"My mother requested that you two accompany on my next return to Vulcan."

Kirk smiled, "Of course your father might have something to say about that."

"He agreed with her statement, his only amendment being that we bring our own transportation."

Jim laughed, causing a few peculiar glances from the pedestrian traffic.

"I would just like to point out," Bones drawled, "That this whole thing would have been a lot easier had you not gone sight seeing at that "museum." Tell me honestly, Jim, why were you there?"

"Oh… you know me," Kirk grinned.

"I knew it! Was she blond or brunette?"

"Gentlemen don't discuss such things," Kirk smirked.

McCoy snorted just as the three entered the transporter station. Moments later they received the welcome hail from the _Enterprise_.

* * *

><p>Sarek examined his vehicle minutely. Some minor paint damage caused by sand, but as Amanda pointed out, that could have been from anything. He straightened up, satisfied that it had not been taxed too much by Kirk's illogical, though effective, recruiting method.<p>

He stepped inside. He would analyze the engine efficiency as he drove to the Airway Patrol Office. There were still a few loose ends to tie up there. He started his vehicle, listening closely for any abnormal sounds from the engine.

_NO HE CAN'T READ MY POKER FACE!_

Sarek didn't jump- he adjusted his position by three inches. He slammed his hand on the radio dial to kill the deafening music.

Humans.

* * *

><p>Over the course of several weeks, Spock had received several communiqués from Vulcan. His mother mainly wanted to make sure "everything was ok." Sarek updated Spock on the ongoing investigation into the anti-human cult that the three had unwittingly uncovered. The authorities had at last persuaded Selka to confess to his involvement, and the other members of the cult were being sought out on charges of murder and sabotage.<p>

Sarek had also sent the last of the paperwork regarding Kirk's high speed chase. Once again, the charges had been miraculously dropped. All that remained was the incriminating photo.

Spock studied the picture. McCoy had clenched teeth and had one hand over his face, a "facepalm" was the term generally used for that gesture. Next to him was a grinning and radiant Captain Kirk, waving. Spock filed the picture away on his computer. After all, such a photo could easily be misused if placed in the wrong hands. However, as it was an official police recorded document, it should be stored and not destroyed.

A moment later there was a chime, "McCoy to Spock."

"Spock here."

"You are up for your physical. Don't glare at me; I sure didn't put you on the check-up roster."

"On my way."

Spock had been preparing for this. He looked at his face in the mirror, one last time, to double check his "surprised" face. Then made his way to sickbay.

* * *

><p>"What you doing here?" Bones asked as Kirk casually walked in the room a few seconds after Spock.<p>

"Just wanted to make sure you guys are ok… you know... after everything."

"May I remind you; it was _you_ who nearly got launched into a cliff, mauled by a cat, fell into a coma, and then (after barely recovering) drove faster than even Vulcans care to go? All of this while on shore leave! _We're_ okay, it's you who has problems."

"Point taken," Kirk said then seated himself casually.

Spock approached the biobed. He hoped his deception would be less transparent than Captain Kirk's. He lay down and waited.

.078 seconds of calibration, and the computer adjusted perfectly.

"What the devil!" Bones exclaimed with his mouth wide open, "Spock your… your… your... NORMAL!"

Spock raised his eyebrow in surprise, just as he had practiced, then said, "Fascinating."

Kirk positively beamed in delight.

Bones was still staring at the monitor as if it had told him Spock was pregnant. "How did? Why isn't it? Is this thing broken?"

Kirk burst into laughter and started stumbling over himself to explain, "I wasn't seeing a nurse, I was seeing a specialist about this special equipment, and we made this program, and I wanted to surprise you two, and it is so cool because…"

Spock sat up off the bed, satisfied that Kirk was able to deliver his "surprise" to both of them. He made a mental note to remind Scotty not to mention that he had helped with the installation.

* * *

><p><em>The End. Wow... I have to say I am relieved. I personally hate it when people post a fic. It gets going pretty good for 3 chapters then they kill it and say "I'm done, someone else can take it." I didn't want to do that, and I am glad this little story of mine has an ending. Hopefully you like it.<em>

_Footnotes: The Vulcan Language came from the Internet. Right or Wrong tense and participles can be taken up with a real Vulcan. If you meet one please send them my way ;)_

_The Songs referenced were "Shut up and Drive" by Rihanna. (Naughty song... totally not about a car XD I was listening to it while writing about Kirk's epic back-up recruiting campaign) and "Poker Face" by Lady Ga Ga (Totally not about a Vulcan... although it is funny to imagine one while listening to it)_

_Thank you again ALL OF YOU for the Reviews. **KCS**: I LOVE your insights and hearing which details you like._


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